Process of coking



March 4, 1930. G. JENNISON ET AL 1,749,138

PROCESS OF COKING Filed July 28, 1928 gwwntow 2211 R. 7% MY (QUM may e viscous or solid at ordinary temperaa residue.

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Patented Mar. 4, 1930 Mrso STATES HARRY G'- J'ENNISON AND CHARLES R. FABEN, 0E IQLEDO, OHIO; SAID FABEN ASSIGNOR TO SAID \TENNIEON rnocnss or comics Application filed July 28, 1928. serial No. 296,046.

This invention relates to a process of cok mg coal tar, pitch, heavy petroleum residues and other liquid or liquefiable hydrocarbons of a similar nature. These compounds are hereinafter termed heavy liquid hydrocarbons. They are all liquid when subjected to our process of distillation, although they tures. If mixed with gas containing oxygen they will not ordinarily form explosive mixtures. In carrying on such process, in order to realize the greatest value from the products thereof, it is a common practice to start with a simpledistillation at a comparativey low temperature and to gradually increase the temperature until a destructive distillation takes place, which finally leaves coke as Heretofore, the distillation has usually been effected by means of heat directed against the bottom or sides of a chamcontaining the compound to be distilled.

. This makes it essential for the chamber walls to be'made from material having a high heat conductivity, steel being the most practical. As the distillation approaches the ultimate stage, the reaction becomes exothermic, thus increasing the difficulty of controlling the temperature within the chamber. structive distillation of a liquid mass, this difiiculty is greatly magnified, due to the fact that the entire'mass has substantially a uniform temperature and reaches the critical b point all at once.

' tion of t In using such a process, therefore, even when the utmost care is exercised, it is inevitable that the steel walls and become distorted, and it becomes necessoon deteriorate sari; to repair them or to replace them altoget er at'a considerable expense.

Various attempts have been made to overditliculties by apent parts of the chamber, or by using a succession of chambers in which various sta es of the distillation take place, but'such variations of the process above described have involved a reat deal of expense in the construce apparatus and have proved very wasteful of the heatused for the purpose.

With the above conditions in mind, it is an In the deobject of our invention to provide an improved process, which is particularly adapted to the coking of heavy liquid hydrocarbons and which may be carried to its ultimate conclusion without excessive injury to or deliquid mass and bubble up through the same, to

so that the heat is transmitted directly thereto without appreciable loss. The walls of the chamber containing the mass to be distilled may be lined with inexpensive, highly refractory, heat insulating material. trolling thedraft, the degree of heat in the mass may be controlled with the utmost preclslon.

Our invention will be more particularly explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, which represents diagrammatically one form of apparatus which may be used in carrying out the process.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a closed chamber which is adaptedto receive the material to be distilled. This chamber may be formed with an outer wall 2 of steel, which is lined-with fire brick 3 or other suitable refractory material. The heat for effecting the coking is supplied by a furnace 4, 86

in which coal, coke or other suitable fuel may e burned. The products of combustion in the furnace 4 pass through a flue 5, which may be provided with an outlet 6 for convenience in starting the fire and for maintainat ing the same when the process is not in progress.

In proceeding with the process, after the-..

chamber 1 has been charged, the outlet 6 is closed by means of a valve or damper 7, and so the pro ucts of combustion in the furnace 4 pass through a pipe 8, which extends downwardly through the top of the chamber 1 and into the liquid mass, discharging the hot gases directly into contact with the same near the bottom of the chamber 1, so that they bubble up through the mass and leave the chamber 1 through a pipe 9 connected with the top thereof. a

By con- 65 The pipe 9 leadsthrough a condenser 10,

of any suitable type, and thence to a receiver 11, where the distillate may be collected and drawn off from time to time through an outlet cock 12. A window 13 may be provided between the condenser 10 and the receiver 11, so that-the progress of the distillation may be observed.

As the volatilized portions of the liquid mass in the chamber 1 are condensed and collected in the receiver 11, the original products of combustion in the furnace 4, which are gaseous at ordinary temperatures, are carried away. through a pipe 14 leading to a suction pump, which is operated continuously during the process of distillation, to maintain an induced draft from the furnace 4 through the apparatus. The process may be continued until there is nothing but coke left in the chamber 1. This chamber may be provided with a bottom 15 arranged in any suitable manner so that it may be opened in order to remove the coke residue.

In this process, all of the heat produced by the combustion of the fuel is transmitted into direct contact with the liquid mass to be distilled, without any appreciable loss.

Any unburned portion of the fuel which is carried over into the chamber 1 will be of the same nature as the material in the chamber 1 and will be subject to the same process of distillation. The-metallic portion of the walls of the chamber 1 will be protected from the heat and will last indefinitely without material deterioration. The temperature within the chamber 1 may be controlled with the utmost accuracy by regulation of the pump by means of a Valve in the line 14 or by the adjustment of the valve 7. The process may be continued with the utmost efficiency and economy until an exothermic reaction takes place and nothing but low volatile coke is left in the chamber 1.

The valve 7 will be of special utility during the final stage of the process. By opening this valve air will be admitted from the flue 6 directly into the chamber 1, thus oxidizing the small proportion of hydrocarbons remaining therein, with a resultant hardening of the coke residue, which will, in fact, be fully as hard as beehive coke. By this arrangement it will be seen that oxidizing the portions of the hydrocarbons remaining in the chamber 1 results in the utilization of i the entire residue to form coke, without the necessity of transferring any portion of the mass operated on from one container to another. That is to say, after liquid hydrocarbon has beenplaced in the chamber 1 at the start of the process, the same remains therein until the process is completed and the final product, coke, is removed. During this last stage of the process the introduction of the combustion gases into the batch practically ceases. .\Of course the volume of air ad- 'mitted will be so controlled that there will not be any appreciable oxidation of the coke residue.

While we have illustrated diagrannnatical- 1y one form of apparatus by which our improved process may be carried out, it is to be understood that this is merely for the purpose of illustration, and that the sizes, proportions and arrangement of the various parts thereof may be modified to a considerable extent, without any alteration of the principles embodied in the process. It is obvious that, instead of using a suction pump to create the induced draft, a blower may be used in connection with the furnace.

What we claim is':

1. The process of coking which comprises destructively distilling a batch of a heavy hydrocarbon liquid to a hard low volatile coke by conducting hot gases produced by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch of liquid and liberating the same near the bottom thereof, and allowing said gases to bubble up through said liquid. I r

2. The process of coking which comprises destructively distilling a batch of a heavy hydrocarbon liquid to a hard low volatile coke by conducting hot gases produced by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch of liquid and liberating the same near the bottom thereof. allowing said gases to bubble up through said liquid, and condensing the distillate thus produced.

3. The process of coking which comprises destructively distilling a batch of a heavy hydrocarbon liquid to a hard low volatile coke by conducting hot gases produced by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch of liquid and liberating the same near the bottom thereof, allowing said gases to bubble up through said liquid until an exothermic reaction takes place and condensing the distillate thus produced.

4. The process of coking which com rises destructively distilling a batch of a eavy hydrocarbon liquid to a hard low volatile .coke by conducting hot gases produced by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch of liquid and liberating the same near the bottom thereof,

and allowing said gases to bubble up through said liquid until the batch is substantially reduced to cok', and then introducing air into the residue and liberating the same near the bottom thereof to oxidize the small proportion of hydrocarbons remaining therein.

5. The process of coking which comprises destructively distilling a. batch of coal tarto hard low volatile coke by conducting hot gases produced by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch of tar and liberating the same near the bottom thereof, and allowing said gases to bubble up through the tar.

6. The process of coking which comprises destructively distilling a batch of coal tar to a hard lowvolatile coke b conducting hot gases produced by the com ustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch and liberating the same near the bottom thereof, allowing said ases to bubble up through the tar and con ensing the distillate thus produced.

7. The process of coking which comprises destructively distilling a batch of coal tar to a hard low volatile coke by conducting hot gases produced by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch and liberating tom thereof, allowing said gases to bubble up through the tar until an exothermic reaction takes place and condensing the distillate thus produced.

8. The process of coking which comprises destructively distilling a batch of coal tar to a hard low volatile coke by conducting hot gases produced by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, under induced draft, into the batch of tar and liberating the same near the bottom thereof, and allowing said gases to bubble up through batch is substantially reduced to coke. and then introducing air'into the residue and liberating the same near the bottom thereof to oxidize the small proportion of hydrocarbons remaining therein.

In testimony whereof We have signed ournames to this s ecification.

HARRY JENNISON. CHARLES R. FABEN.

hereunto the same near the botthe tar until the 

